Service box assembly



April 1967 w. o. MCKENNA ETAL 3,312,770

SERVI CE BOX ASSEMBLY Filed April 16, 1964 INVENTOR. VV/LL/AM O. M KEN/vBY HARRY R. Orr

awm 0/2) I Arm/we 5 5 United States Patentv O 3,312,770 SERVICE BOXASSEMBLY William 0. McKenna, Oakland, and Harry R. Ott, Richmond,Califi, assignors to Benner-Nawman, Inc., Oakland, Califl, a corporationof California Filed Apr. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 360,334 1 Claim. (Cl. 17448)This invention relates to a service box assembly and the like, and moreparticularly pertains to a receptacle for mounting terminal protectorand connector blocks in a void defined between the upstanding studs andconstruction walls of a building.

The invention is particularly useful in regard to providing a commonlocation for making telephone connections between a service line from anaerial drop, for example, on the one hand and a number of individualtelephone wires from inside the building. a

In certain types of housing construction, it has been found advantageousto install telephone connection wires in virtually every room of thehouse prior to the completion of construction. The individual wires arebrought to a common location in the building. This oftentimes is merelya conveniently located void defined between two adjacent wall studs.Later, when it is desired to install telephone service, the service lineis brought, either from underground cable or by an aerial drop to thevoid containing the individual wires. Ordinarily, a service box isinstalled in the outside wall of the building and suitable connectionsmade between the individual wires and the telephone service line.

In general, it is an' object of the present invention to provide animproved service box for such connections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a service box of the kinddescribed for supporting terminal protector and connector blocks in avoid between wall studs to provide a substantially unobstructed accessthereto both from above and below.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simplified service boxconstruction capable of being manufactured from a minimum of parts'andutilizing a mini mum of labor.

These and other objects of the invention will be more clearly apparentfrom the following description of a preferred embodiment when taken inconjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle according to theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a planned View schematically showing disposition of thereceptacle of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 shows another embodiment of the receptacle according to theinvention;

FIGURE 5 shows a cable connection assembly incorporating a receptacleaccording to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a cable access adaptor as incorporatedin FIGURE 5; 7

FIGURE 7 is a front elevation view of a pair of receptacles verticallyaligned to provide modular expansion of connector block needs.

In general, there has been provided a receptacle for mounting terminalprotector and connector blocks in a void defined between a pair ofupstanding studs and two construction walls attached to the studs. Thereceptacle comprises generally a U-shaped member formed to extendbetween the studs to support electrical connection blocks in the void.The manner of supporting the U-shaped member provides a substantiallyunobstructed access to the terminal blocks both from above and below.Accordingly, where individual wires from the various rooms of a buildingterminate in a void at a position above the service box, they can bereadily attached to terminal protector and connector blocks therein withequal facility as where the individual wires are brought into the voidat a location below the service box.

In the drawings a U-shaped member 10 is formed With a number ofprepunched holes suitable for receiving screws attaching terminalprotector and connector blocks (not shown). Member 10 is formed from afiat length of material such as metal wherein the end portions 11, 12are bent normal to the plane of member 10.

An enclosing framework forms the walls of a casing to be carried in andextend through an opening in one of the construction walls to provideaccess therethrough to the connection blocks carried on member 10. Thus,a casing 13 is formed from the rectangular framework which includeslongitudinally extending top and bottom Walls 14, 15 and side walls 16,17. The ends 18, 19 of casing 13 are open. Walls 1417 extend through anopening 20 formed in one of two construction walls 21, 22. A pair ofupstanding studs 23, 24 serve to define a void 25 between the innersurfaces of walls 21, 22.

The inner end 18 of casing 13 is formed to terminate substantially inthe plane of the inner surface of construction wall 21. End portions 11,12 of member 10 are secured to casing 13, as by spot welding, to supportmember 10 in the void a sufilcient distance beyond the inner end 18 ofcasing 13 to provide unobstructed access to connection blocks on member10. Member 10 is spaced from the inner surface of construction wall 22opposite opening 20. The spacing is sufiicient to allow a fastener suchas a nut to be applied to the end of bolts employed in the p-re-punchedholes therein.

In order to attach casing 13 to studs 23, 24, it is formed to include askirt 26 having outstanding tabular portions 27 lying substantially inthe plane of the inner surface of construction wall 21. Tabular portions27 extend laterally to overlie the studs and include nail holes 28-for.

mounting the receptacle in opening 20. V

The outer end 12 of casing 13 is dimensioned and adapted to extendbeyond the outer surface of construction wall 21 so as to form a coaming29 around opening The outer end of the receptacle is then closed by aremovable cover or door 30 engaging or seated on coaming 29. The edge ofcoaming 25 is turned inwardly to form a lip 31. Lip 31 extends aroundthe coaming and lies in the plane of the outer end 19 of casing 13. Tohold the door in place, a portion of casing 13 is bent inwardly to forma protruding seat 34 adjacent to and spaced from lip 31. As shown in thedrawings, this is provided by a pair of dimpled depressions 32, 33pressed into the top wall 14. The opposite side of wall 14 in the regionof dimples 32, 33, therefore, forms a protruding seat 34 adjacent to andspaced from lip 31.

The receptacle is substantially weather-tight. Door 30 is formed with alip 3:; extending partially around its perimeter and formed to overlielip 31. Thus, the bottom and side edges of door 30 are turned inwardlyto form the lip 35. The top edge of door 30 is bent out of the plane ofthe door in order to form an edge portion of a building construction isarranged substantially as described above but includes a flat plate 40of generally rectilinear construction. Plate 40 is formed with opposedlongitudinal edges 41, 42 of a length adapted to extend between studs23, 24. The other edges 43, 44 extend laterally of edges 41, 42 and eachincludes a pair of tab portions 45, 46, and 47, 48 respectively,outsanding from each of the laterally extending edges 43, 44.

Each pair of tab portions is spaced apart along their respective edge 43or 44 and are bent transversely to the surface of plate 40 forattachment to casing 49 to dispose plate 40 in the void 25. The spacingbetween the respective tab portions of each pair is dimensioned toprovide a handhold 51, 52 at each side for gripping the framework toprovide easy handling.

Doors 30 can be held in place by any suitable means such as the screws39 or by a turning lock of conventional design having a single bladeadapted to be turned to engage the lip of the casing.

While it may normally be preferable to plan to have the telephoneservice line enter a building construction at a particular void from anunderground cable so as to be brought up into the bottom of the voidcontaining all the individual wires, such is not always possible.Furthermore, it is not always known just exactly where this serviceconnection-is to be brought in until after the walls of the buildinghave been put in place. Therefore, suitable means may need to beprovided for cable access to a void such as 25 entering directly throughthe face of the wall.

Accordingly, a cable acess adaptor unit 60 is' arranged for passing acable, such as from an aerial drop, through a hole formed in theconstruction wall at a point below a service box receptacle of the kinddescribed above.

. The cable is led through the hole to the terminal protector andconnector blocks in the void and suitable connections are made. Theadaptor unit 60 is formed of a fiat sheet of material providing a faceplate 61 arranged and dimensioned to be disposed below the receptacleand to lie substantially in the plane of the inner surface of aconstruction wall such as wall 21. Face plate 61 extends to overlaystuds 23, 24 for attachment thereto as by driving nails through holes62.

A cable access hole 63 is formed in face plate 61 a' measured distance64 from the upper edge 65 of plate 61. p In order to protect hole 63from the elements, an awning-like cover 66 having triangular-shaped endsurfaces 67 formed with outstanding tabs 68 and a tab 69 bent coplanarwith tabs 68. Cover 66 is secured to face plate 61 as by spot weldingand carried thereon so as to shield 'hole 63.

Means are provided to accurately locate hole 63 with respect to thereceptacle. The upper edge of plate 61 is formed with a tab portion 71outstanding therefrom and bent out of the plane of the face plate in adirection adapted to lead away from void 25. Tab portion 71 is disposedto engage the inside surface of bottom wall 15 of the receptacle and tohang therefrom so as to dispose hole 63 a measured distance from theinside surface of the casing 13. The length of tab portion 71 issubstantially coextensive with the spacing between side walls 16, 17,and thereby serves to center the hole 63 with respect thereto.

In order to provide a finishing surface for the material of theconstruction wall, the lower margin 72 of plate 61 is bent out of theplane thereof in a direction leading away from void 25 and formed with areversely bent edge 73.

been provided a service box receptacle arrangement permittingconsiderable versatility in making connection to a service line.Terminal protector and connector blocks are supported within a voidformed between wall studs and disposed for completely unobstructedaccess to the blocks, both from above and below the service boxlocation.

It will also be readily apparent that a casing 13 can be formed as anintegral unit with skirt 26 in a single drawing action and the U-shapedmember 10 attached by spot welding, for example, Accordingly, in but afew manipulative steps, a service box construction of the kind describedcan be manufactured.

It will be further evident from the foregoing construction that asadditional terminal protector and connector blocks are required, or uponinitial installation, the above described receptacles can be employed inmodular fashion. An elongated version of the receptacle of FIGURE 4 isshown so arranged in FIGURE 7. Accordingly it is to be noted, as shownin FIGURE 7, that the unobstructed access opening defined between theupper edge 41 and casing 49 of one receptacle can be aligned with alower unobstructed access opening defined between edge 42 and casing 49of another receptacle.

In aligning a pair of receptacles as shown in FIGURE 7, the lower edge42 of plate40 of the upper receptacle extends to overlie the upper edge41 of plate 40 of the lower receptacle. Similarly the lower edge ofskirt 74 of the upper receptacle is adapted to overlie the upper edge ofskirt 74 of the lower receptacle. Obviously, the reverse procedure canbe followed whereby the upper edge 41 of the lower receptacle overliesthe lower edge 42 of the upper receptacle. Connector blocks 75 togetherwith cables 76 are shown mounted in place in the receptacles of FIGURE 7whereby cables 76 can run between blocks 75 in both receptacles.

It should also be apparent from FIGURE 7 that edges 41, 42 extendrespectively above and below a horizontal plane through the transversehorizontal portions of casing 49 to permit the above overlappingrelationship providing a continuous back plate support for connectorblocks 75 and cable 76.

We claim:

A receptacle for mounting terminal protector and connector blocks in avoid defined between a pair of upstanding studs and two constructionwalls attached to the studs, said receptacle comprising a U-shapedmember formed to extend between -a pair of studs to support terminalprotector and connector blocks in said void to pro vide a substantiallyunobstructed access thereto from above and below, an enclosing frameworksecured to the endsof said U-shaped member and forming the walls of acasing to be carried in and extend through said opening to provideaccess through the wall to the protector blocks in said void, saidcasing being open at its inner and outer ends, the inner end of saidcasing terminating substantially in the plane of the inner surface ofthe last-named construction wall, the ends of said U-shaped member beingcarried by said casing to support the U-shaped member in the void adistance beyond the inner end of said casing and spaced from theconstruction wall opposite the opening, the outer end of said casingbeing dimensioned and adapted to extend, beyond the outer surface ofsaid last-named construction wall to from a coaming around the opening,and a door removably seated on the coaming and closing the outer end ofthe casing, said casing having portions outstanding therefrom andextending to overlie the studs for attachment thereto to mount thereceptacle in said opening, the upper and lower edges of said U-shapedmember extending respectively above and below horizontal planes throughthe uppermost and lowermost horizontal portions of said enclosingframework whereby a plurality of said receptacles can be disposed invertical alignment with the lower edge of the upper of said U-shapedmem- 5 bers overlapping the upper edge of the lower of said U- 2,247,6467/1941 Terry 17466 shaped members. 2,544,266 3/1951 Kennedy 2203.94 X2,742,173 4/1956 Janson 2203.8 References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 5 LEWIS H. MYERS, Primary Examiner. 1,982,957 12/1934Knell. H. W. COLLINS, Assistant Examiner.

2,014,444 9/1935 Miller 17450X

